Steel-Bladed Sword
by fanficfanatic940
Summary: A year after the Digidestined leave the Digital World after defeating the Dark Masters, a new evil runs free. This force, though, is not playing games. Chapter 13 is up. Please R&R!
1. Chapter I: The Warning

NOTE: THIS STORY HAPPENS IN SEASON 1, AS IN MOST OF MY FANFICS, SO DON'T BE EXPECTING DAVIS OR TAKATO TO SUDDENLY MAKE AN APPEARANCE!  
  
  
  
Matt and Tai trudged through the blustering cold, looking for food. The snowy winds whipped against their faces as they shivered. Suddenly, Tai caught sight of a strange figure lying on the ground, silhouetted against the darkening skies. He nudged Matt's shoulder, not daring to move from his spot.  
  
Matt turned. "What is it, Tai?"  
  
Tai pointed. "What's that?"  
  
"What? I don't see anything," Matt replied.  
  
Indeed, the figure was gone.  
  
"Maybe... I was seeing things." Tai shook his head, looking down. I coulda sworn I saw something.  
  
The two continued on the trek. Suddenly, Tai caught sight of the same ominous figure lying on the ground. He once again tapped Matt's shoulder, not daring to look away.  
  
But just as Matt started turning around, a snowflake flew into Tai's right eye. He furiously clawed at it, and when he looked up, the thing was gone again.  
  
Matt gritted, "I don't find this very amusing, Tai. If you don't stop-"  
  
Get out of here. Get out now!  
  
Tai glanced around. "What was that??"  
  
Matt replied, "What was what?"  
  
"You didn't hear it?"  
  
"Hear what?" Matt asked.  
  
"I-it was a voice. Some kind of a... voice." Tai was trying to sound confident, but inside, he was ready to break down crying.  
  
"Did you hear what this 'voice' said?" Matt smirked.  
  
"Clear as crystal," he replied. "It said-"  
  
Before Tai could finish his sentence, he fell on the snowy ground, unconscious.  
  
  
  
  
  
When Tai awoke, his head was resting on a log, and the snowstorm had subsided. He was wrapped in heavy blankets, and he had dry clothes on. He could see Matt and Izzy conversing in the background, but he took little notice when Sora walked over with a cup of hot tea.  
  
"Good, you're awake!" she said. "Now drink this, it will make you feel better."  
  
She pressed the steaming cup to his lips, and he took a sip. The warm tea felt good as he swallowed it. He tried to reach for the cup, but his arms wouldn't budge.  
  
Sora spoke up. "Izzy said you caught hypothermia. Matt even said something about you playing a prank on him, and then saying you heard a voice. Before you could tell him what it said, you passed out, and he brought you here."  
  
Suddenly Izzy turned and pointed at Tai, and he and Matt walked over.  
  
"How ya doin'?" Matt asked.  
  
Tai tried to say "good", but no words came out. He was barely able to open his mouth.  
  
"Don't try to talk, Tai," Izzy said. "Just try to get some rest."  
  
As he and Matt left, Sora had Tai drink some more tea. As he was taking a sip,  
  
Leave. Never come back.  
  
Tai widened his eyes in horror, and Sora took the cup away.  
  
"Is there something wrong, Tai?" she asked.  
  
Of course, there was nothing Tai could do to reply.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


	2. Chapter II: The Search

As he and Matt left, Sora had Tai drink some more tea. As he was taking a sip,  
  
Leave. Never come back.  
  
Tai's eyes widened in horror, and Sora took the cup away.  
  
"Is there something wrong, Tai?" she asked.  
  
Of course, there was nothing Tai could do to respond.  
  
  
  
  
  
Where am I? What is this place? Tai seemed to be in an infinite black void. Floating, floating on nothingness. It was like Outer Space, just without the bright, twinkling stars.  
  
Suddenly, he saw to huge, blood red eyes open in front of him. Two immense eyes glaring at him. They filled him with some kind of fascination, all he could keep from screaming. He saw a large blade lifted from the shadows below. The eyes narrowed as the blade was lifted up in the air, the flew at him! The blade was five yards, four yards, two yards, a foot away, half an inch, then-  
  
A tap an Tai's shoulder quietly awoke him. He glanced up to see Sora, Biyomon, and Agumon.  
  
Matt walked over with some warm apple cider, which he gave to Sora and walked away with Gabumon.  
  
Sora put the Styrofoam cup to Tai's lips, and he drank. He could move his lips now, but his hypothermia must have somehow jammed his vocal cords.  
  
He suddenly remembered his dream. Don't worry, Tai. It's just a dream. But despite all the things he did to reassure himself, he couldn't shake the feeling that it meant something.  
  
Why do you stay here? Leave NOW!  
  
Agumon looked worried. "Are you alright, Tai?"  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah, sure, I'm fine."  
  
"Tai! You can talk again!" Sora exclaimed.  
  
Tai wished he could, but he still couldn't. Or could he? He tried to say "yeah, I guess so". Nope. He couldn't.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED... 


	3. Chapter III: The Enemy

Why do you stay here? Leave NOW!  
  
Agumon looked worried. "Are you alright, Tai?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. I'm fine."  
  
"Tai! You can talk again!" Sora exclaimed.  
  
Tai wished he could. Or could he? He tried to say "yeah, I guess so", but no words came out.  
  
  
  
  
  
Tai was drifting in and out of consciousness. Usually when he came to, he saw Izzy conversing with someone. But what really worried him was once he saw Izzy with the whole group. He couldn't hear him very good from the distance he was from them, but he was able to make out, "Tai... getting worse... nothing we... able to do... might die...", but then he was out again.  
  
  
  
When Tai awoke again, it was morning. His head hurt, but he could move his arms a little. He saw the digimon playing around, while the rest of the team was cooking breakfast.  
  
Matt glanced over in his direction, then walked over and sat beside him.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
Tai tried to talk, but his voice was raspy, and Matt had a hard time trying to understand him.  
  
"Ow'z Kari din?"  
  
Matt took a time to respond. "She's a little scared, hoping you're alright. She's actually handling this situation very maturely."  
  
Tai couldn't help but chuckle.  
  
Matt stood up. "Just try to get to sleep again, 'kay?" But before Matt was halfway done with his sentence, Tai was asleep.  
  
  
  
  
  
Tai watched Agumon walk up to him. "How're ya doin', Tai?" his digimon asked.  
  
"I'm doing pretty well. In fact, I think I might be able to walk again." Tai tried out just as he had said. But before he was three inches above the log his head was resting on, he felt a terrible jolt in his stomach. He let out a cry that pierced the midday tranquility, and echoed throughout the thin mountain air.  
  
As Tai was breathing heavily and groaning, the rest of the team came running towards him. Joe walked up beside him while Matt moved away. "Tai? Tai? Can you tell me what hurts?"  
  
But Tai couldn't utter a word after he passed out.  
  
To be continued... 


	4. Chapter IV: The Virus

When Tai came to, the cold, dark moon was sending dancing reflections on the gleaming still lake nearby. He looked up at all of the stars. But what he heard broke his concentration.  
  
"Look, Izzy. I know these things."  
  
"How can I be sure?"  
  
"I'm a doctor's son, remember? That was definitely not the work of either hypothermia or frostbite."  
  
"Well then, Joe. What do you think it was?"  
  
"Some kind of bug or something."  
  
"But have you ever heard of a germ like that back home?"  
  
"No, Izzy. But you have to remember that we're not back home. We're in the digiworld."  
  
"That part really bothers me. A year ago, the gate closed forever. There must be some great evil we were sent here to destroy."  
  
"I know. We'll have to figure it out... some time."  
  
"We'd better get to bed now. It's well past midnight."  
  
"Yeah. See ya tomorrow, Izzy."  
  
Tai tried to drift back to sleep. But before he could...  
  
Get out. Leave. Never come back. Or face the consequences!  
  
Tai suddenly saw a vision. He saw some great warrior who conquered worlds. At right was a great sword. At his left was a slain body - his body.  
  
  
  
"Tai? Tai? Wake up, Tai! Please wake up!"  
  
Tai opened his eyes to see Sora, Matt, and Agumon standing over him. Further away, the rest of the team was watching.  
  
Tai embraced the bright morning sunshine. Still, he could not erase a strange feeling inside of him. Coldness. Anticipation. Fear. They fed a dark hole deep inside of him, which was growing stronger every second of every minute of every hour of every day.  
  
Something didn't want him. Something wanted to destroy him. And his friends would be next after he went. He didn't know it, but he was foreshadowing his own death, which would come sooner than he thought...  
  
To be continued... 


	5. Chapter V: The Sickness

A few more weeks passed, and Tai's condition was getting worse every day. His right arm was paralyzed and his leg was getting more painful every day. No matter what kind of medicine Joe tried on him, his condition stayed the same, and occasionally, worsened. He would wake up, in the middle of the night, and feel as if a truck hit him. Then one night, Tai awoke to the sounds of Joe And Izzy whispering hoarsely.  
  
"What are we gonna do, Joe? If we don't work quick enough, Tai might..." he let his voice trail off.  
  
"Izzy, we won't let that happen. In fact, Palmon told us about a special flower only about ten kilometers down that way." Joe pointed towards a distant forest, shrouded in mist.  
  
"So, that flower could help Tai?"  
  
"Precisely."  
  
  
  
The team has a few small travel bags that they are carrying for the long journey ahead. Sora stays by Tai's side to watch over him when the team leaves to find the Frojen Flower.  
  
Over the next couple hours (which of course quickly turned into days), Sora took care of Tai in any manner possible. Even with all of this treatment, though, Tai was getting worse. One day, he kept seeing a black, hooded silhouette laying on the ground. It was, indeed, the same one he had seen on the first day of this whole fiasco.  
  
After a few more day, a visitor came by the camp where Tai, Sora, and their digimon were residing. He was tall and dressed all in black. Tai almost went into shock at the sight of the digimon.  
  
"Please, Miss, do you have any food?" the stranger asked Sora. "I haven't eaten in weeks, with all of this snow."  
  
"Oh, um... yeah, I... guess so." Sora said as she went for a can of beans.  
  
The stranger followed her, but went around behind the tent, where Agumon was trying to light a fire and Biyomon was fanning it.  
  
When Sora came back out, the strange digimon was gone, and so was Agumon.  
  
1 To be continued. 


	6. Chapter VI: The Death

"Tai, I can't find Agumon!" Sora yelled as she came around the tent. "Biyomon hasn't seen him either!"  
  
Tai couldn't hear her, though. Sora quickly realized he was unconscious.  
  
Sora shook her head and went into Joe's tent to find the medicine he had given her.  
  
When she returned, Tai's eyes fluttered and he tried to sit up. His back was paralyzed, though, and he couldn't move a muscle.  
  
This type of action happened every day now, though. It was becoming more typical of Tai to drift out of consciousness, wake up, and then try to sit up. Of course, he was never able to perform the latter.  
  
  
  
"I'm pretty sure that we are about a kilometer from the middle of the forest." Palmon said.  
  
"Good. My feet are aching and I'm getting my dress all dirty," Mimi complained.  
  
"Boy, Mimi. You sure are in an exuberant mood today," Izzy replied sarcastically. Joe stifled a laugh.  
  
Palmon interrupted their conversation. "Look! There it is!!!"  
  
"Prodigious!"  
  
"Alright!"  
  
"I knew we could find it!"  
  
"Mimi, you've been complaining the whole way here," Gatomon said.  
  
"You're point being..."  
  
"You were being pretty pessimistic."  
  
"Shut up, Tentomon! It doesn't matter. We found the flower!"  
  
Palmon approached it carefully, checking for any traps. When she found none, she gingerly picked it and walked back to the group.  
  
"Excuse me, but I haven't eaten for days, and I'm famished. Would you spare a snack?"  
  
The team spun around to see a large, robed figure.  
  
  
  
"Water..." Tai mumbled weakly.  
  
"Okay, Tai. I'll go get you some water." Sora turned and grabbed a plastic cup. "Here you go."  
  
Sora put the cup to Tai's lips and he drank.  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry, but we don't have any food," TK replied to the stranger.  
  
Without a word, the digimon fell to the ground and disappeared.  
  
The team immediately began to rush back to the campsite.  
  
  
  
The next day, Sora got up to see Tai shivering and sweating. That's odd. Suddenly, she rushed to Tai to see what the problem was.  
  
After a few more minutes, the shivering got all the more violent and he was starting sweat more. Then, just as quickly as it began... it stopped.  
  
Sora stared at him a minute. Please don't do this to me, Tai, she thought as she slowly reached out two fingers. She put them on Tai's neck and felt for a pulse.  
  
Nothing.  
  
To be continued... 


	7. Chapter VII: The Ice

SORRY IF THIS IS A CORNY TITLE, BUT I COULDN'T THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE.  
  
Sora watched the rest of the group come back, sitting on the log Tai had rested his head on.  
  
Matt stopped and put his hands on his knees and breathed heavily. He held out a blue and purple and said, "Here's the flower. How is he?"  
  
Sora looked down. "Tai... Tai's gone, Matt. He died this morning."  
  
The words stung Matt as if they were crude daggers thrust into his chest. He warmly embraced Sora, then looked over her shoulder to see a white sheet draped over a lifeless body.  
  
Kari ran into her tent.  
  
"Where's Agumon?" Matt asked.  
  
"I don't know. Last time we saw him, he was goofing off with Biyomon. I was getting some food for a hungry digimon-"  
  
"Wait," Matt interrupted. "Did this digimon happen to be a tall hooded figure?"  
  
"Yeah. Why?"  
  
"We saw him, too."  
  
"Did somebody call me?"  
  
Matt whirled around to see a robed figure standing behind the team.  
  
"Who are you?" Joe asked.  
  
"If you must know, I'm your worst nightmare."  
  
Mimi started to chuckle, but realized it was telling the truth.  
  
"I am one of five conquerors who are destined to take over the Digital World and enslave the inhabitants for my Master."  
  
Matt crossed his arms and said, "Who's your master?"  
  
"Wouldn't you like to know." The digimon took of his robe to reveal an icy figure. "My name is Arcticmon, the ruler of these mountains. And you, Digidestined, are about to learn that evil can be very cold.  
  
To be continued... 


	8. Chapter VIII: The Mistake

"Izzy spoke up. "Are you sure you want to fight us?"  
  
"Of course. If Master wills me to do it, I must."  
  
"Well, what level digimon are you, then?"  
  
"I am but an Ultimate level, thank you for asking."  
  
"Well then we'll have no trouble defeating you," Matt said casually.  
  
"What makes you think that?" Arcticmon snapped.  
  
"Well, because we're the Digidestined, and we're destined to defeat evil digis."  
  
"You know, for heroes, you sure can make stupid jokes."  
  
"Well, you would know."  
  
"That's it. FROZEN MIST"  
  
An icy fog enveloped the area. When it cleared, it left a heavy toll. The trees were covered with icy bark and the ground was blanketed with frost.  
  
"ARCTIC WIND"  
  
A blustering cold wind set over the good digimon, evidently injuring them.  
  
Kari and Gatomon poked their heads out of the tent. Before they withdrew, however, they were noticed by Arcticmon.  
  
"Come on out, little ones." he said calmly.  
  
"You leave her alone!!" Matt stepped in front of the group.  
  
"Matt, get back in here, please." Sora whispered.  
  
"Hello, what's this?" Arcticmon looked at Matt. "Is she your sister or something?"  
  
"No. She was Tai's sister, and I gonna have to protect her!"  
  
"Oh? And where is this Tai you're talking about?"  
  
"He's dead."  
  
"What a pity." Arcticmon slapped Matt on the cheek. "Get back over there!"  
  
Matt slowly walked back towards the group.  
  
"Get that child and that cat out here now."  
  
"CELESTIAL ARROW"  
  
  
  
LATER...  
  
  
  
"METAL WOLF CLAW"  
  
"FLOWER CANNON"  
  
"VULCAN'S HAMMER"  
  
The combined attacks weren't enough to make Arcticmon wince, let alone destroy him. He swiftly attacked each digimon and made them de-digivolve. He walked up to Tsunomon.  
  
"That was a joke. You were supposed to be a powerful Mega-leveled digimon and yet I live. You even had your friends help you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to bring you to my Master and then eliminate your friend. Sorry."  
  
To be continued... 


	9. Chapter IX: The Cold

"No! You'll never get Tsunomon!"  
  
Arcticmon glared at Matt. "You need to learn to keep your mouth shut, kid. I'm gonna have to teach you a lesson. FROZEN MI--"  
  
"HOWLING BLASTER"  
  
The attack hit the digimon square in the back. Arcticmon turned toward Garurumon. "But... you can't... you didn't... you skipped.. Rookie stage..."  
  
"I'm gonna show you to pick on Matt!"  
  
"Oh, you have me shaking in my boots."  
  
"When I'm through with you, your boots will be gone... with your feet still in 'em!"  
  
"What a pathetic excuse for a threat. ARCTIC WIND"  
  
The wind stopped Garurumon cold in his tracks.  
  
"Well, that was enough fun for today. I bid thee farewell, Digidestined. We'll meet again." With that, Arcticmon faded and disappeared.  
  
  
  
"I wonder what will happen when Mrs. Kamiya finds out what happened." Sora said to Matt.  
  
"I know. Maybe we should Bring Tai's body back with us."  
  
"I'm not so sure. I heard that corpses start to stink after a while."  
  
Izzy spoke up. "Would you guys shut up, or at least talk about something else not so macabre? The rest of us are trying to sleep."  
  
"Okay. Sorry, Izzy." Matt pushed some of the burning logs closer to the center of the fire with a stick. The warm flames felt good after the cold day.  
  
Suddenly, Matt and Sora both felt a cold hand on their shoulders. They turned to see the silhouetted face of Arcticmon glaring at them.  
  
"Surprise."  
  
To be continued... 


	10. Chapter X: The Plan

It became the Digidestined's daily routine. Arcticmon would show up, taunt them, fight, leave, then show up again later. It was becoming more a more constant, more a more typical. Until one day...  
  
"I think we should just leave now," Mimi said.  
  
"What, find a new place to camp out, Mimi?" Palmon replied.  
  
Matt spoke up. "I think we should consider our options."  
  
"Either leave or wait to get killed by Arcticmon," Sora said sarcastically."  
  
Matt put his elbows on his knees. "Everyone in favor of leaving, say 'I'!"  
  
"I!"  
  
"I."  
  
"I!!"  
  
Everyone wanted to go.  
  
  
  
After everything was packed, the team had a little discussion.  
  
"We need to come up with a plan." Matt said.  
  
"Just combine all of our attacks and hit him on all sides simultaneously." Izzy suggested. This was met by an agreement from everyone.  
  
"Well then, it's settled. Let's pick up some trash." Matt then bent down and picked up a candy wrapper.  
  
Suddenly, Mimi slipped and smacked her arm on a jagged rock poking out of the frostbitten earth. She screamed in pain.  
  
Matt swore. "Joe, go get that first aid kit!"  
  
Joe kicked his pack open and brought out a first aid kit. He immediately brought out a bandage and some different medicines.  
  
"Don't worry, Mimi. It's just a cut. A rather large cut, but a cut nonetheless."  
  
He quickly bandaged the wound.  
  
"There. Finished. Now let's get going."  
  
The team, with their packs, headed toward the forest. Behind them, a freshly made grave and a large stone with the name "TAI" carved crudely.  
  
To be continued... 


	11. Chapter XI: The Meltdown

Sora looked up at the stars twinkling against the blackening sky of the Digiworld. Her feelings were mixed. She was sad for Tai, scared of their new enemy. She expected that. But she was also struck with a feeling of pride. Pride that she shared the duty of saving both worlds with her friends, pride of who she was. She still didn't understand it, though. She was about to speak her feelings, but Matt spoke first.  
  
"It feels kind of empty here without Tai around, doesn't it?"  
  
"I still can't grasp the fact that he's gone."  
  
"I know." Matt whispered. He glanced at the dying flames. "I'd better get some more fire wood. I'll be right back."  
  
Sora suddenly put a hand of his shoulder. "About Arcticmon," she said, "do you really think that we can beat him by 'combining' our attacks?"  
  
Matt hung his head. "Actually," he said apologetically. "I don't."  
  
"Then why did you agree with that plan?" Sora asked inquisitively.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Tentomon suddenly flew into the area. "Come quick! Arcticmon's here!"  
  
Matt muttered, "Speak of the devil," as Sora ran ahead of him into the clearing outside of camp. Matt ran after her.  
  
Once there, they found Gabumon and Biyomon run/fly up to them.  
  
"Quick! Let us digivolve," Gabumon pleaded.  
  
"Sora and Matt took out their digivices, and their digimon digivolved. Garurumon and Birdramon went to go fight alongside their fellow digimon, who had already digivolved.  
  
"How pathetic," Arcticmon sneered.  
  
Joe spoke up. "Remember our plan, guys."  
  
"Ahem, excuse me?" Mimi looked annoyed.  
  
"And girls." Joe silently mouth 'one... two...' "THREE!"  
  
Suddenly, Arcticmon was hit with a barrage of attacks. When the dust cleared, however, he had not a scratch on him. "FROZEN MIST"  
  
When the icy fog appeared, all of the digimon de-digivolved. Ikkakumon, however, was far enough away that he emerged unscathed.  
  
"Don't worry guys! You can count on us!" Joe said. Suddenly, he pulled his digivice from his pocket. It was glowing brighter and brighter every second. Everyone watched as Ikkakumon digivolved in Zudomon.  
  
"Ha! You think that scares me? The great Arcticmon? That is so pathetic."  
  
Matt, however, ran to Gabumon upon seeing him injured.  
  
"No! Gabumon! You're my best friend!" he shouted over the madness. He stopped as he accidentally dropped his glowing crest on the ground.  
  
"Gabumon warp digivolve to... Metal Garurumon!"  
  
"Impressive. However, you know you're attempts are futile, right?"  
  
"That's what you think," Matt said through clenched teeth.  
  
"GIGA MISSLE"  
  
Arcticmon grabbed the rocket and laughed. "Is that the best you've got?"  
  
"No. This is," Zudomon grinned. "VULCAN'S HAMMER"  
  
Arcticmon whirled around as the blast struck the bomb he was holding. The massive explosion sent everyone sprawling. Matt watched as the blackened body of Arcticmon hit the ground and returned to the data from which he came.  
  
  
  
"Damn! Those Digidestined destroyed Arcticmon! Oh, well. I guess that leaves everything to Anemomon." The digimon ran his fingers down the blade of his sword. "I just wish I could've taken care of them." He stood up from his throne and turned the gigantic screen in front of him and laughed devilishly.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	12. Chapter XII: The Power

Sora breathed heavily as she dropped off of a ledge. She glanced up at the mountain above her, where they had fought the most difficult of enemies. But she knew there were more of Arcticmon's kind; stronger counterparts filled with the same intensified evil and hatred. The fiend had spoken of others, how many? Four more? He had also told of his Master, who had zero tolerance for failure. Sora's thoughts shifted as she tried to suppress the fear of what was to come. Tai entered her mind, but she pushed him out. He was a good friend, an excellent partner. Or was he more?  
  
"Sora! C'mon, jump!" Matt hollered up to her. She realized she was on the edge of another ledge. She jerked her head back to catch a glimpse of the rest of the team, but her sudden movement threw her off balance. She slipped, and hit the ground with a thud. She stood up and held her bruised arm. Matt ran up to her. "Sora, you alright?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just bumped my arm." She chuckled nervously.  
  
When the rest of the group were on the ground, the wind started to pick up. In ten seconds, it changed from a gentle zephyr to a violent sandstorm. In the midst of the sudden fury, Sora saw a digimon walking towards them. His large strides appeared unaltered by the howling wind. He held up his hand and it... stopped. It never slowed, it just ceased immediately. Any object the gust had picked up dropped straight down onto the ground. The digimon grinned at them. "Are you the ones who defeated Arcticmon? The Great Digidestined who are prophesized to destroy the evil that dominates this land?"  
  
"That depends," Matt said. "Who are you?"  
  
"My name is Anemomon, the second Digital Fiend. You people destroyed my 'colleague', Arcticmon. Now I'm gonna return the favor." 


	13. Chapter XIII: The Weak

"Master, I'm sorry..."  
  
"Shut up, Anemomon! You lost, deal with it!"  
  
"Sir, they outnumber me seven to one!"  
  
"So what? Even Arcticmon wasn't that stupid!"  
  
"But they have MetalGarurumon on their side!"  
  
"Arcticmon faced the same thing, and he never failed me as badly as you did, fool. If I hadn't have killed their leader, you would be dead now."  
  
"Boss, I must admit, that was pretty smart what you did to that Tai kid."  
  
"I know. Those idiots think the culprit was a virus! But that's off subject. Explain to me how you lost again. If your story is good enough, I might give you one more chance."  
  
"Well, I was doing great, until every one of their digimon eventually digivolved into their highest stages. I tried to fight back, and I was able to de-digivolve them back to Rookie level, but then MetalGarurumon hit me first."  
  
"Pathetic. I guess I will give you one more chance. But if you blow it, you're dead."  
  
"Boss, I don't get it. You gave Arcticmon a bunch of chances. Why only give me two?"  
  
"Because you were always the puny, the lowest, the subordinate. You were the weak. You wanna know why I gave you the least amount of territory?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you couldn't handle more. You were always griping about everything. When the Digidestined came back, I took a risk and gave you more. You abused that privilege, and wound up almost dead."  
  
"I'm sorry, Master-"  
  
"I don't give a damn how sorry you are." The "boss" stood up and walked towards Anemomon. With the darkness caused by the pitch-black walls and poor lighting in the castle, Anemomon was barely able to make out the action of his boss drawing out his gleaming gold sword. Suddenly, however, he could feel the cold blade being pressed against his throat.  
  
"Anemomon, I say this in the best possible way. If you don't kill those Digidestined in three days, I will feed your body to the Vilemon. After I break you, that is."  
  
"Um, yes sir. Three days. Got it." With that, Anemomon turned quickly and walked towards the door. The harsh words of his Master echoed in his ear. 'Three days'. A he left, he could here the sword behind him return to its scabbard.  
  
To be continued... 


End file.
